Angus Young is probably the first name you think of when talking about the guitar playing in AC\/DC. But there is a solid argument to be made that Malcolm Young\u2019s guitar playing was just as important. Rhythm guitar is an essential part of their music and Malcolm was a master of laying down a rock-solid foundation for his brother\u2019s lead guitar parts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In this lesson, Kent will be going over some of Malcolm\u2019s greatest guitar parts as well as a few ways you can nail his tone. If you\u2019re trying to pick out Malcolm\u2019s parts in an AC\/DC song, they usually have Angus and Malcolm\u2019s guitars panned to either side in stereo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Malcolm\u2019s Guitar Tone<\/strong> He plugged directly into a cranked vintage Marshall Super Bass. When dialling in the distortion, it\u2019s important you don\u2019t overdo it. It should be enough so that when you dig in there\u2019s grit but when you lighten your touch it cleans up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re trying to get his tone on a budget, then any guitar with Filterton pickups and a Marshall-style amp will get you there. If you don\u2019t have an amplifier that can get a Marshall tone, then try the J Rockett .45 Caliber guitar pedal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Just make sure you\u2019re using a heavy pick and hitting the guitar hard. Confidence is key!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Power Chords<\/strong> Meanstreak<\/strong> Thunderstruck<\/strong>
Malcolm\u2019s tone was perfect for rhythm guitar. Just the right amount of gain and a whole lot of attitude. He played 12 gauge strings and modded a Gretsch Double Jet so that it only had one pickup. This made it very similar to a Gibson Jr. style guitar which screams classic rock tone. This guitar had a bypassed tone control and was known as \u201cThe Beast\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Malcolm mostly used power chords and open chords. The main chords you\u2019ll find him using in AC\/DC\u2019s songs are the A power chord, E power chord, G power chord, D major chord, and B power chord.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The first rhythm guitar part we\u2019ll learn uses single notes instead of chords. You want to make sure you\u2019re adding that rhythmic swing that Malcolm always talks about. Feel free to get lazy with your fretting hand so you can more easily mute the adjacent strings. That way, you can add attitude by including some extra muted notes into the riff. Vibrato is optional but it\u2019s a great way to add a little more emotion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are so many tutorials out there on Angus\u2019 part, but Malcolm\u2019s part is worth looking at as well. You\u2019ll be playing a B power chord and splitting it into two pieces. You\u2019ll go back and forth between the top part and the bottom part of the chord to get the accents right. It might seem tough, but once you find the groove it should come pretty naturally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n